Shown above is the front page of a handbill issued by the N.S.W.
State Rail Authority in 1988 advertising the diesel hauled electric train
services to the 1988 Bicentennial Air Show at Richmond. See page 3 for
further details on this timetable and the interesting workings that took
place.

From the Editor - Worth
reading if you want to be in the know (just like a good timetable!)

Dear members and friends,

1. Smaller print size for TheTimes: Two issues
ago (The Times No. 173, August 1998 p 3) I advised that as an experiment
I would begin using a smaller type size in the Letters to the Editor section
and for readers to provide me with some feedback about this change. All
of the feedback I have received has been that the smaller 11 pitch type
size is satisfactory. As a result, this issue of The Times has been
produced in the smaller 11 pitch type size as it will enable me to fit
more in the same number of pages.

2. Traders' Items: Towards the bottom of page 15 in this issue
you will see that the Traders Items section has made an appearance. This
is not a new section but one that isn't used very often by members. It
has been an irregular feature of The Times since its inception and
is available for members to use free of charge to advertise timetables
(and related paraphernalia) that you may want to buy, swap, sell or give
away. As long as you contact me by the 5th of the month it will appear
in the next month's issue eg. 5th November for the December issue.

3. Request for articles about bus and ferry timetables: To date
I have not received very many articles about bus and ferry timetables for
publication in The Times and invite readers who have an interest
in them to send me some articles.

4. Books about collecting timetables: Last month (September 98)
I was in the Queensland State Library in Brisbane and saw a book sitting
on one of their shelves titled Railroad Timetables, Travel Brochures
and Posters - A History and Guide for Collectors by Brad S. Lomazzi.
It was published in 1995 by Golden Hill Press Inc., Spencertown, New York,
U.S.A. I picked up the book and had a browse through it and was surprised
to actually find a book about collecting timetables. In all my years of
collecting timetables this is the first time I have seen a book about our
hobby. This has now aroused my curiosity and I am wondering if readers
may know of any other books that have been published that deal with timetable
collecting? If you do know of any other books could you please let me know
(by post, email, phone or in person) as I would like to publish a list
of them in The Times. I've been collecting timetables for 40 years
and it is exciting to find out that books are now being published about
our hobby.

Yours in the cause of happy timetable collecting,

Graham Duffin.

Editor, The Times.

DIESEL HAULED ELECTRIC TRAINS
TO THE BICENTENNIAL AIR SHOW AT RICHMOND, N.S.W. - 15 & 16th OCTOBER
1988

by Robert Henderson

The rather bland appearance of the timetable pamphlet issued by the
State Rail Authority of N.S.W. depicted on the front page and pages 5 &
6 of this month's issue of The Times hides the uniqueness of the
event to which it refers. One weekend ten years ago this month a service
of suburban electric multiple unit trains ran over the line between Riverstone
and Richmond in Sydney's outer western suburbs, almost three years before
it was electrified.

The occasion was the holding of the Bicentennial Air Show over the weekend
of 15/16 October 1988. The air show, at the Richmond RAAF Air Base, located
almost adjacent to the Richmond railway line between Clarendon and East
Richmond, was one of many special events conducted during the year to mark
200 years of white settlement in Australia.

At the time of the air show, work on the electrification of the Riverstone-Richmond
section, which started in January 1987, had been suspended since June 1988
due to a lack of funding. At that stage, the only sign of pending electrification
was the series of upright masts beside the line. Work eventually resumed
in early 1990 and electric trains finally started operation to Richmond
on 17 August 1991. In 1988, however, electric trains normally ran only
as far as Riverstone, where passengers had to change into two-car diesel
sets for the remainder of the journey to Richmond.

It should be remembered that the Blacktown-Richmond line was then (and
still is) entirely single track with crossing loops at Quakers Hill, Riverstone
and Mulgrave, and sidings which could also be used for crossing trains
at Windsor and Clarendon.

To cope with the large crowds expected to arrive at the show by both
road traffic and public transport, special arrangements were put in place.
The mainstay of the public transport service was the operation of electric
train sets direct from the city to Clarendon, the nearest station to the
air base. From both Clarendon station and special car parks set up for
the occasion, buses conveyed passengers to the base itself or to nearby
vantage points. Arrangements were identical for the Saturday and the Sunday,
even though separate timetables then applied to regular suburban train
services on each of these two days.

The timetable for the 15 special electric trains for the outward journey,
each of six or eight double deck cars, are shown on the front page of the
State Rail pamphlet (our page one). They ran either from North Sydney or
(where a time is shown against Circular Quay) from the City Circle and
were timed to depart Blacktown at regular 15 minute intervals. On arrival
at Riverstone, 13 minutes were allowed for the pantographs of the train
to be lowered and a 48 class diesel electric loco to be attached to haul
the train the 11.3 km from there to Clarendon. These 48 class locos had
been brought to Riverstone prior to the arrival of the first special electric
train.

After passengers had alighted at Clarendon, each train drew forward,
to be stowed for the duration of the show, head-to-tail along the main
line, separated from each other by only a few metres along the 3.4 km of
"main line" between Clarendon and Richmond. Each loco was detached from
its train and was attached to the train ahead of it, ready to haul the
latter train back towards the city at the conclusion of the air show in
the late afternoon. A total of 16 locos (plus a spare) was required for
this purpose, even though there were only 15 trains, the last loco being
required to attach to the last outward train for the return journey. The
loco attached to the first outward train returned light engine after passage
of the last return train at the end of the afternoon. The spare loco, a
422 class, was on hand at Riverstone in case of breakdown or other emergency.

Between the times of the forward and return traffic of special trains,
services between Riverstone and Clarendon were maintained by a six-car
combination of two-car (600 class) diesel trains and an eight-car air conditioned
diesel (DEB) set. These trains connected at Riverstone with a shuttle service
of electric trains between there and Blacktown, where in turn there were
connections with city trains. (The additional trains during this time period
are shown on pages 3 and 4 of the pamphlet - our pages 5 & 6). During
this period, electric trains from the city which would normally have proceeded
to Riverstone, went instead to Penrith (as per page 5 of the pamphlet,
our page 6).

While the electric train sets were stowed along the line between Clarendon
and Richmond, passengers were conveyed over this section by bus. Buses
also replaced Up trains from Richmond to Blacktown between 7.42 am and
10.42 am, and similarly replaced Down trains between 5.00 pm and 7.00 pm,
to avoid the need to conduct crossing movements with the special electric
trains. A further bus service ran between Penrith and Richmond. Over 400
private buses were reported to have been used each day on these various
services, as well as the service between Clarendon and the air base. An
overnight storage yard was established for buses in the Richmond/Londonderry
area.

The special electric train sets were tabled to return to the city at
10-minute intervals after the show, from 4.40 pm to 7.00 pm (as shown on
the pamphlet's page 2 - our page 5), with the diesel loco hauling the train
back to Riverstone. There the electric train's pantographs were raised,
but each loco continued with its electric train to and was detached at
Blacktown, a move which simplified and speeded up the safe working. It
can be seen that five minutes was allowed at Blacktown to detach the loco.

The author travelled to Clarendon by train on the Saturday, stopping
to watch the activities at Riverstone, and was fascinated by the arrangements,
which all seemed to work well and with little delay. Luckily the weather
was fine on each day. Trains were all well loaded, although not overcrowded,
and many people took a special interest in the attaching of locos at Riverstone
for the last leg of the journey to Clarendon.

The events of that weekend are not likely to be repeated there or elsewhere
in the foreseeable future. It was a memorable two days.

THE INTRODUCTION OF SUNDAY MORNING
TRAM SERVICES

IN MELBOURNE by Graeme Cleak.

Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board services on Sunday mornings
in Melbourne was inaugurated on the 4th October 1936. Prior to that date,
the M&MTB Electric and Cable Trams did not start services until just
on 1pm.

There was one private bus service, Route 72A, which was a Sunday morning
only service, running from Glenhuntly Station to Point Ormond. A limited
number of private bus services ran on Sunday mornings, although there was
still only 11 such services running in April 1946. Electric train services
ran on each line, but at very irregular headways.

So on that day in 1936, Sunday morning services began on the following
routes and headways, (with the first journey being the 7.50am in from Camberwell).

Illustrated belowis the March 1942 Sunday morning timetable
which is the earliest one I have that is suitable for publication. The
times are almost identical to the 1936 service except for the electric
tram/bus replacements of the cable trams.

A fascinating point is that the departure times from three termini (Kew-Cotham
Rd, Toorak and Camberwell) have not varied over the ensuing 60 or so years
and still apply to today's Sunday services!

The departure times are:

Kew-Cotham Rd. (Route 69) 7.57 then at 27 & 57 past the hour

Toorak (Route 8) 8.10 then at 10 & 40 past the hour

Camberwell (Route 7 now 72) 7.50 then at 20 & 50 past the hour

Can any reader match this seemingly unbeatable record for a "memory
timetable" unchanged for so long? Little did those roster compilers in
the M&MTB in 1936 realise how permanent some of their work would become!

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIMETABLE COLLECTING

(from a USA perspective) By Charles Anderson.

(Charles Anderson is one of our overseas members who lives in Philadelphia,
U.S.A. We welcome his first article for The Times as he writes about
the development of Timetable Collecting in U.S.A.)

Collecting "things" has been a habit with most of us. It starts at a
very early age with a variety of "objects" - for curious boys it's rocks,
toads or perhaps toys hidden in the "bowels" of a cereal box; girls tend
to be fascinated with dolls, cosmetics or sparkling jewels. As time goes
on our "tastes" tend to become much more sophisticated and focused. Yet
much of what we collect as adults harks back to those early childhood days.
So it is with Timetable Collecting. How many AATTC members recall
your first days of collecting? Perhaps it was the sight of a timetable
rack at the ferry wharves in Sydney or the booking clerk's window at a
railway station. They were colourful, attractive to young eyes, somewhat
elusive if tucked away behind the booking clerk's window, but often free
for the asking. They were the connection with vehicles that could take
us to unimagined distant points and the fuel for dreams beyond the horizon.
They were the tangible link to our future plans.

Timetables have been part of a developed nation's life for over a century.
In the USA timetables were initially posted in local newspapers and magazines
or on large posters affixed to buildings, street lamps and, of course,
the local railway station or boat dock. By 1860 a number of "specialised"
documents were published in both Europe and America which compiled an assortment
of schedules for railways, maritime companies and some local bus/tram lines.
Often lavishly illustrated with advertisements, these documents became
Cook's
and The Official Guides which are now prized collectibles.

Significant public access and distribution of "schedules" was not evident
until the last quarter of the 19th Century, again only in Europe and North
America. This fascinating and complex period was historically full of social
paradoxes, economic growth and tremendous industrial activity. Daily life
quickly became quite complex for those residing on either side of the Atlantic.
Schedules and timetables mimicked these complexities, becoming unique in
form and content for specific purposes - the system, line and point to
point schedules. For the first time they were available to the public in
quantity. It was likely the time when young boys and fascinated adults,
unwittingly drawn by the elaborate, colourful covers, started collecting
them.

Systematic identification, organisation and discussion of schedules
by collectorsdid not occur until sometime after 1920. In America,
the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society was founded and their published
bulletins often included topics related to timetables. By the time of the
Second World War several other groups had been established including the
National Railroad and Steamship Historical Societies. Similar organisations,
some older and well established, sprang up throughout the world. Increasingly,
specialised organisations were formed by individuals focused upon the "details",
much in the same manner as specialisation of today's physicians. In North
America, The National Association of Timetable Collectors (NAOTC)was
founded in 1962 as an integral part of an evolving need to fill gaps not
addressed by other organisations. Its primary focus was "sharing" information
and documents with those individuals interested in timetables regardless
of the source, be it railway, bus, ship or airline.

The AATTC and other groups were formed worldwide for identical reasons.
Initially, these groups were "loose confederations" which exchanged correspondence,
traded or sold documents and often met either ad hoc or infrequently
due to logistics constraints. This was particularly true of the NAOTC which
had its membership widely dispersed. I can't imagine the magnitude of the
situation "down under". With time and growth, coupled with the "drive"
of dedicated members, "newsletters" were distributed on a "scheduled" basis.
These publications "highlighted" a variety of topics encompassing every
aspect of timetable collecting. Organisation business was reviewed; articles
discussing detailed timetable history, format, content and use were presented;
upcoming events and gatherings were announced and, usually at the back
of each issue, a selection of items listed for sale or trade were identified.

The dawn of the 1970's, tempered by dramatic social upheaval throughout
the world and facilitated by increased personal mobility, saw the next
stage in the history of Timetable Collecting. In the USA regional "meets"
of interest to the collecting community began. Slowly at first, but, with
great momentum, collectors of primarily "railroadiana" gathered to barter,
sell or trade extra items accumulated. These "shows" have become one of
the primary means for enhancing timetable collections and "sharing" discussions
amongst those with similar interests in the USA. Lasting personal friendships
have been achieved. The "grab box", one of the primary vehicles used by
AATTC, is not often seen these days in North America. Alas, much has been
displaced by the "big business" concepts of Capitalism. For those AATTC
members not familiar with these American "Railroadiana Meets or Shows"
a bit more of how business is conducted is in order.

The "Railroadiana Meet" started back in the late 1960's as a result
of ancillary functions associated with larger organisations' annual conventions.
As an example the National Railway Historical Society had, by that time,
a well established routine of conducting an annual convention hosted by
a regional Chapter of the Organisation. This afforded an opportunity for
members to gather at different locations in the USA and to circulate throughout
various sections of the country. Activities focused upon trips within the
locale, often conducted with vintage equipment, and social gatherings that
culminated in a dinner with an eminent guest speaker presenting a "key
note" address. The pace was relaxed and often afforded ample idle time
to chat or ramble. Succeeding conventions have filled in this idle time.
As an adjunct, to fill in this time, tables of an informational or promotional
nature were displayed for those attending so they could examine and collect.

Being American someone came up with a "great idea". This was an opportunity
to
"market". It could provide much needed funds for a variety of worthy preservation
projects or to supplement the income of both local NRHS Chapters or individuals.
A vast assortment of items were available, some old, some new; some modestly
priced, others quite expensive. It was a haphazard affair seemingly based
on nothing logical. One could procure "T" shirts, hats and other apparel;
books, brochures and maps, everything from "soup to nuts", even timetables.
The outcome of these small operations was the introduction of the highly
organised, skilfully marketed "Railroadiana Meet". These "Meets" are held
frequently in various locations, some so elaborate that they have full
time staff which schedule, market and conduct them throughout the nation.
Greenburg's comes to mind and those that subscribe to Trains or
Model Railroader magazines published in the US may be familiar with
their advertised shows. It's "Big Business"!

Today there exists a vast assortment of "vehicles" available to the
Timetable Collector in the USA to gather new items, purge excess from their
collection or to just gather information or chat with friends. Auctions
became a prominent "tool" during the 1980's, but never "outpaced" the "Railroadiana
Meet". The explosive public acceptance of the Personal Computer in the
1990's, with its capability to provide instant communication and internet
access worldwide, has had a significant impact on collector's activities.
My membership and interest in the AATTC is an example. Its overall benefits
are apparent, yet its impact on changing familiar behaviour patterns has
not been assessed. The story will continue.

The "tools of our trade" have changed, access to a wider assortment
of resources has improved and potential for success enhanced, but the principles
and methods of yesteryear remain unchanged. For those of us still focused
on Timetable Collecting, it will remain an activity requiring patience,
vigilance, careful study and constant, thoughtful communications with our
colleagues.

Buses to Cribb Island

Shown below is the cover of the August 1979 timetable for the Brisbane
City Council bus routes 65, 65A and 65B that used to operate from the City
to Cribb Island on an hourly service headway. Today these services no longer
operate as the present Brisbane Airport was built over the top of most
of Cribb Island. (Timetable from the collection of Col Levett).

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR- Where we welcome
your feedback, views and comments on The Times and timetabling issues.

1) David Whiteford - Obtaining timetables
in Perth.

Following the request (The Times
No 170, May 1998 p15) for timetable supply points, herewith is a list
of Perth sites known to me and current as at July 1998. Unless specifically
mentioned, sites listed are for Transperth bus, train and ferry services
only. The privatisation of bus services has not made an impact on timetable
distribution as this is still controlled by Transperth, the Government's
overseeing body.

1. Transperth Information Office, Plaza Arcade, Perth CBD.
This Serco operated office has a full display of tables on a self service
stand as well as staff to answer questions.

2. Perth Railway Station. There are self service display stands
at both the ticket/information office in the Wellington Street entrance
foyer and on platform 2, and there are staff in the office to assist with
enquiries. There is a Westrail country services booking office here. This
used to contain a self service stand for Westrail timetables but it was
removed in 1997. Timetables can still be obtained by asking staff.

3. Midland and Fremantle railway stations have self service stands
in the main foyers and it is possible that Joondalup, Whitfords, and Warwick
stations on the Northern Suburbs Railway also have stands but I've yet
to confirm this. Midland and Fremantle have Westrail country booking offices,
and timetables are available by asking at the counter. Midland is only
open for very restricted hours.

5. The Perth Busport (Esplanade, Perth) has a self service stand.
There used to be a staffed information office here but it did not last
long after the opening of the Busport.

6. Wellington Street Bus Station has a staffed information office
containing a self service stand. A few private operations also usually
have timetable stocks here as they operate out of the station.

7. Westrail Centre/East Perth Terminal (where most country trains/buses
depart from) has a self service stand near the reception desk. There are
also some private bus companies with booking centres in the terminal and
their timetables can usually be found displayed for the public to take.
There was a Westrail country services self service stand here until removed
in 1997 but timetables can still be obtained by asking at the reception
desk or booking counters.

8. Alexander Library Building (the State Reference Library) in
James Street pedestrian precinct has a self service stand in the ground
floor foyer.

9. Some hospitals and other service centres have small displays
of relevant timetables that are also often available. Some years ago Royal
Perth Hospital did have a full self service display stand in the Victoria
Square entrance foyer. I do not know if this is still there.

10. Public libraries usually have copies of local timetables
for the public to take.

David Whiteford, Kewdale, W.A.

2) Len Regan - Obtaining timetables in Adelaide.

On the broader question of timetable availability (The
Times No. 174, September 1998 p3), The Passenger Transport Board
in Adelaide has what I would regard as the best source of public information
at its InfoCentre at the corner of King William St and Currie St in the
heart of Adelaide.

The InfoCentre is in a conspicuous ground floor location, with timetables
and information brochures for all Adelaide services (TransAdelaide, Hills
Transit and Serco) in attractive self-serve racks. There are ample copies
of all material, so you get the impression that they actually want you
to take a copy. There is no-one watching you and telling you that you shouldn't
be taking so many timetables (as happens at the State Transit self-service
display at Wynyard in Sydney). There are also large scale illuminated route
maps.

If you do want to make inquiries, there is an enquiry counter at the
rear of the InfoCentre with friendly, knowledgeable staff who also sell
train and bus tickets.

The photo below shows the interior of part of the InfoCentre, and illustrates
its main features.

Len Regan, Kotara, N.S.W.

The above photo was taken by Len Regan on 20 Feb 1998 and shows some
of the self-serve timetable racks at the Passenger Transport Board InfoCentre,
cnr Currie and King William Street, Adelaide. Notice how full the racks
are! Truly a timetable collector's paradise.

3) Alan Gray - Obtaining timetables in Adelaide
and Perth.

Following the request for timetable supply points (The
Times No. 174, September 1998 p3), after a recent holiday in South
Australia and Western Australia I am able to advise the following information.

In Adelaide there is the Trans Adelaide shop in King William
Street which has a number of racks around the shop, each containing full
sets of timetables. The Adelaide Railway Station also has a self help dispenser
which has a high percentage of timetables. The ones not on display can
be asked for.

In and around Perth there are a number of self help dispensers,
these being at:

Barrack Street Ferry Wharf (Self help)

Bus Port (Self help and at Counter)

Wellington Street Bus Station (Self help and at Counter)

Perth Railway Station (Self help at two locations)

Transperth office, Plaza Arcade (Self help and at Counter)

Midland Railway Station (Self help)

Fremantle Railway Station (Self help)

As you can see, both these cities are a timetable collector's dream.
A full set can be obtained in a matter of minutes.

Alan Gray, Spit Junction, N.S.W.

(Ed: Alan is right about Adelaide and Perth being a timetable collector's
dream. After reading his letter and the ones from David Whiteford and Len
Regan, I feel like boarding the next train to Adelaide and Perth and going
on a timetable crawl. From the above letters and my own visits, it appears
to me that Adelaide has the best self serve and comprehensive public timetable
supply point in Australia. In Perth, with so many self serve dispensers
available, it makes me wonder whether any other capital city in Australia
can exceed the number of city-wide self serve timetable outlets they have.
By contrast, based on the lists published to date in The Times and
from my own visits,I wonder whether it is reasonable to conclude
that Melbourne currently has the least number of city-wide self serve timetable
dispensers of any Australian capital city with Sydney and Brisbane not
far behind. If you disagree with these conclusions please write or email
me as I am happy to publish in The Times any alternative viewpoint.)

4) Jim Fergusson - Timetable Checklist No.
1 for N.S.W. Railways.

Congratulations on the excellent work you are doing on The Times.
A few comments on the N.S.W. Timetable Checklist (The Times No.
173, August 1998 pp. 6 & 7) from my own collection.

ALL-SYSTEM COUNTRY

Add 31-10-1920 Amend 25-10-1958 to read 26-10-1958

SUBURBAN

I suggest noting when the Newcastle services were dropped from the Suburban
Timetable and transferred to the Country Timetable and then back again
to the Suburban!

Add 22-10-1939

Amend 6?-5-1968 to read 5-5-1968.

Jim Fergusson, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England.

5) Colin Taylor - Timetable Checklist No. 1
for N.S.W. Railways.Reference the interesting list of N.S.W. public railway timetables
(The Times No. 173, August 1998 pp. 6 & 7), I have a set of
three regional SRANSW Country & Interstate Timetables all of 1st
June 1986. Also there is a Countrylink Train Timetable (not including coaches)
of 1 November 1992. These perhaps should be included in the list.

Colin Taylor, Karalee, Qld.

(Ed: I appreciate Jim and Colin providing further information as
this is one of the main reasons it was published - to invite readers to
update it so it will be as correct as possible. I will wait a couple more
issues of The Times before reprinting it in case there are some
further updates still to be received from readers.)

In Hong Kong where I came from, there are numerous bus enthusiasts (like
myself) who either collect models, take pictures, catch buses around Hong
Kong, and here's the exciting part, many actually keep data on Hong Kong's
bus timetables!! Although bus timetables are not published in Hong Kong,
it is possible to look up a timetable from the information board at bus
stops and listen to the automated infolines that all the franchised bus
companies provide.

Many of the bus enthusiasts keep records of the frequencies (such as
first and last buses) and on the Hong Kong buses Discussion Board on the
internet http://w3.to/hkbdb they sometimes
even suggest route and timetable improvements. They discuss just about
everything on the board and contributions from anywhere in the world are
welcome. The problem for us is that most of them are in Chinese, although
there are some exceptions. I type in English because I don't have the Chinese
software myself, and even if I did, I wouldn't use Chinese because it is
really troublesome.

Because many of these bus enthusiasts are also interested in the timetabling
aspects of buses, I believe AATTC could make some efforts to attract these
people to join our association. Most of these enthusiasts are teenagers
or in their early twenties with only some older people. If we can attract
them it will mean more members and AATTC will certainly have a better future
with an increase in younger members.

On the matter of attracting local young members, I think the point Albert
made about the teen and twenty generations seeing many enthusiast organisations
as fuddy duddies is quite true. The world keeps on changing and if we don't
keep pace with the rest of the world we will gradually become more irrelevant.
I mean, if you tell many younger enthusiasts, or even me, about the steam
train timetable in 19xx, then when we look at it we can become discouraged
as we cannot relate our life experiences to that way of life (so slow???).
In many cases we don't know what is being talked about as many haven't
see the steam train themselves. So many just forget it as they don't know
what are you talking about and don't know its relevance to today.

Therefore I think the older members of associations such as AATTC should
educate, or tell young people like me why you like it, what makes it relevant
to you and why it has some relevance for us today. Above all please say
it concisely (not in long articles or passages), as most people today don't
read as much so like to get straight to the point quickly.

Derek Cheng, Beecroft, N.S.W.

(Ed: It is certainly good to read the views of a younger member [Derek
is 18 years of age.] My thinking on the issue is that our primary focus
must be on current and general timetabling matters that both young and
old can relate to. While there is a place within our association [and kindred
organisations as well] to reminisce and record the history of old timetables,
that will only succeed while there are sufficient people who actually want
to do it. If most of the younger generation and new members want to relate
to current timetabling then I believe that is the way we need to go if
we want to attract them and maintain their interest. In fact this is one
of the reasons why as editor of The Times I have tried to balance
the historical articles with topical and general ones so there will be
something of interest for everyone.)

TRADERS' ITEMS- A place for members to advertise free of charge for timetables (and
related paraphernalia) to buy, swap, sell or give away.
175.1) For Sale: Member Colin Taylor is downsizing his rail
timetable collection and has prepared a list of over 200 public and working
timetables surplus to his present requirements. They mostly cover the period
of the 1970's, 80's and early 90's. Timetables are from Victoria, New South
Wales and some overseas countries (including New Zealand, Japan, Britain,
France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Scandinavia, Switzerland, U.S.A. and some
Thomas Cook timetable books). If you would like to receive a copy of the
list please contact Colin Taylor, 65 Melbourne St, Karalee, Qld 4306 Phone/Fax
(07) 3294-7174. Also Graham Duffin, Editor of The Times has some
copies of the list available. After perusing the list Colin invites you
to contact him and make an offer for the items that interest you.

175.2) Free to a good home: Copies of Newcastle State Transit
bus timetables from the late 1980's and the 1990's, many in sets. Member
Len Regan brought them to the Sydney Division meeting last August and there
are still some available. Please contact The Times Editor, Graham
Duffin to obtain copies.

GRAPHIC INSIGHT

Two more 'firsts' for Graphic Insight this month - we look at a working
timetable rather than a public timetable, and we look at freight rather
than passenger schedules.

The diagram below represents the freight train services operated by
the State Rail Authority of New South Wales in the West and North West
of New South Wales. The times are as documented in the SRA Standard Working
Timetable - Freight Services, Book 5 North and North-West from 29 March
1998 and Book 7 from 19 October 1997.

The diagram illustrates the services scheduled to run over the lines
to the West of Lithgow and to the North-West of Muswellbrook. Adjacent
to each route is shown the scheduled weekly number of trains. On those
routes where two numbers are shown (eg 5,10), the first number is the number
of mandatory services and the second number is the number of conditional
services. Where only one number is shown, only conditional services are
scheduled. Different train types are distinguished by lines of differing
patterns.

The predominance of the Hunter Valley is very noticeable here - particularly
in comparison with the once mighty Western main line. Note also the predominance
of conditional services over mandatory services.

Finally, the routing of trains between Muswellbrook and Merrygoen over
the two alternative routes is interesting; why, for example do the Elura
ore trains travel via Ulan whilst the Goonumbla ore trains travel via Werris
Creek?